Best way to ship a game?

gbpackers94

gbpackers94

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What's the cheapest/safest way to ship game (ps3). Box or Envelope and what would it be classified as on eBay (large envelope, envelope, box, or large box)? Oh and where do you get the yellow envelopes that have buble wrap on the inside?
 
ship first class in a bubble padded mailer. you can get them at dollar stores, ebay, cost-co, or if you have to the post office. and it is a large envelope if you are printing shipping through paypal.
 
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I just wrap them with brown wrapping paper/paper bag and ask for the cheapest shipping at USPS. It has never failed me. Same with books. Or sometimes I have used yellow envelopes lying around.

Unless I have to ship multiple games, I get a used Amazon box and do the same thing.
 
[quote name='crzyjoeguy']ship first class in a bubble padded mailer. you can get them at dollar stores, ebay, cost-co, or if you have to the post office. and it is a large envelope if you are printing shipping through paypal.[/QUOTE]

Best way. Also you can throw insurance on the package when shipped just in case it breaks in the mail and it doesn't cost to much extra
 
[quote name='shinryuu']I just wrap them with brown wrapping paper/paper bag and ask for the cheapest shipping at USPS. It has never failed me. Same with books. Or sometimes I have used yellow envelopes lying around.

Unless I have to ship multiple games, I get a used Amazon box and do the same thing.[/QUOTE]

You cheap fuck.

Bubble mailers OP, bubble mailers
 
Yes, use bubble mailers. You can pick up 5 packs at Target or Wal-Mart for $3 and some change or they run about 50 cents each at dollar tree and places like that. Don't just wrap it in brown paper. Sure it may work sometimes but spend the extra buck or so and make sure it gets there safe.
 
bubble mailers are the way to go. i usually use one of those and then put that inside a priority mail envelope which i then tape up around all 4 sides.
 
Yep, bubble mailers are the way to go. ebay is cheapest, but if you don't need that many, you can get boxes of like $25 at office stores like Staples for $15-20.

Also, if you're using Goozex or other trading sites, try to salvage as many padded mailers as you can. If you can open them with out damaging them you can just use them again by taping them shut with mailing tape and taping your printed shipping label over the old one.
 
this is how i usually ship my games which is w/o a doubt the cheapest way.

i get 10 pieces of printing paper and staple around the edges(staple around 3 sides leaving about an inch space between staples, then put the game inside 5 papers on top and 5 on the bottom of it, and then staple the last side shut)

LOLi received a game like this, and have started doing it myself as i have sooo much extra computer paper...i have shipped probably about 20 games like this and have never received any complaints.

dont make fun ppl we r in a recession lol
 
I saw this topic while browsing online and I had a question. I want to ship PS3 games on ebay but what size bubble mailers should I buy and what USPS service should I use? First Class (Large Envelope)? If so do I just place the game inside the bubble mailer, print the shipping label on Paypal, tape the label to the bubble mailer, head over to the post office (is this part necessary?), and ship the game. Or should I just take the game to the post office and tell them to put it in a First Class Large Envelope and ship it?
 
[quote name='scarhawk']I saw this topic while browsing online and I had a question. I want to ship PS3 games on ebay but what size bubble mailers should I buy and what USPS service should I use? First Class (Large Envelope)? If so do I just place the game inside the bubble mailer, print the shipping label on Paypal, tape the label to the bubble mailer, head over to the post office (is this part necessary?), and ship the game. Or should I just take the game to the post office and tell them to put it in a First Class Large Envelope and ship it?[/QUOTE]

If you're doing it through ebay, it's actually cheaper by a little bit doing it through Paypal than going to the post office and doing it, so if you want to save a little on shipping, you should do it online. The only issue is if you print it online through Paypal, it requires DC (which you should have anyways), as oppose to doing it at the post office which doesn't require it, but it also cost more at the post office if you purchase it there instead of doing it online. Might as well. And all those other things you asked about the type of shipping and etc, the answer is yes. When you do the printing of the label, Paypal will break it all down for you, even more than USPS calculate postage will, so the First Class Large Envelope/Package option will be there for you.
 
Are Amazon's weights on games accurate to go by because I don't have a scale that goes by ounces. By the way, sorry for being a noob but what do you mean by DC? And is it really necessary to use a bubble mailer and should I always add insurance? Sorry for so many questions :p
 
Go to your post office and use the automated postal machine here. Just get to the point where it weighs the item for you. A typical PS3/360 plastic cased game weighs about 6-7 oz.

DC = Delivery Confirmation. If you do your shipping label on paypal, it's mandatory and costs only 19 cents.

Bubble mailer is worth the extra cost to ensure a safe transit. Skip insurance unless it's an expensive or hard to find game.
 
[quote name='Hybrid5006']You can get bubble mailers in bulk on ebay. I got 250 for around $20 (size #0)[/QUOTE]

x2 on this, USPS First Class with $.19 DC.
 
I guess I'll just use 6.9 oz or I'll just weigh one copy of each game once at the post office and then just print the shipping labels online from that point on :)
Yeah, what size bubble mailers should I use so that it will be considered a Large Envelope. And sorry for another dumb question but will the weight of the bubble mailer possibly cause the weight of the package to raise. If so, would using the First Class Large Envelopes be a better bet.
 
[quote name='scarhawk']I guess I'll just use 6.9 oz or I'll just weigh one copy of each game once at the post office and then just print the shipping labels online from that point on :)
Yeah, what size bubble mailers should I use so that it will be considered a Large Envelope. And sorry for another dumb question but will the weight of the bubble mailer possibly cause the weight of the package to raise. If so, would using the First Class Large Envelopes be a better bet.[/QUOTE]


If you're going to sell a lot of games, just invest in a cheap mail scale. they can be bought on ebay or office depot. Games don't all weigh the same-- they go from about 4 oz to 9 oz.

I use size 0 mailers from royalmailers.com. they fit DVD cases fine. but I've found that other size 0 mailers don't fit DVD cases for whatever reason. Size 1 is a bit bigger and will definitely fit a game.

Bubble mailers are considered packages. I think packages and large envelopes are in the same category for USPS, so it doesn't matter anyway for the price.
 
I've got a box full of used bubble mailers, many of which came from gohastings, cause they mail each item separately.

On a more hijacking of thread note, what about older games in cd cases? PS1 for example. There are boxes for them at the PO for $2 a piece, but is there a cheaper alternative?
 
I use the same bubble mailers for ps1 games as well. I put pages from Game Informer magazines in there to keep it from flailing around (at least those mags are good for something!)
 
Rather than GI pages, I just use plastic bags. Even a small one from CVS or the like adds a ton of padding to a jewel-case sized game.
 
I am ideologically opposed to bubble mailers. Get some mailman who wants to do The People's Elbow, and you've got one destroyed game. Especially jewel cases. Anybody who sends jewel cases in bubble mailers is a moron.
 
@ninja dog: Actually packages cost a little more than large envelopes. Maybe 30 cents which isn't a whole lot but it adds up.
 
Ok last 2 questions. Should I use size #1 bubble mailers or size #0 and are Kraft bubble mailers better than the Poly ones or are they about the same.
 
[quote name='scarhawk']Ok last 2 questions. Should I use size #1 bubble mailers or size #0 and are Kraft bubble mailers better than the Poly ones or are they about the same.[/QUOTE]

#0 (weighs a lil less, costs a lil less and will fit any regular game/package)

Poly is a lil lighter and will guard against moisture
I bought kraft but would have preferred poly.
 
[quote name='Chuplayer']I am ideologically opposed to bubble mailers. Get some mailman who wants to do The People's Elbow, and you've got one destroyed game. Especially jewel cases. Anybody who sends jewel cases in bubble mailers is a moron.[/QUOTE]
:lol:The People's Elbow. It's usually the lightweight stuff that gets tossed around like crazy.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']:lol:The People's Elbow. It's usually the lightweight stuff that gets tossed around like crazy.[/QUOTE]

Seriously. If I see that I get an Dreamcast game or something in a bubble mailer, I just know that I'm going to need to delve into my inventory of spare CD cases.
 
Maybe it's just your mailman/mail handlers at your local post office(s) then, since 90-95% of the games I've received in trades have arrived in perfect condition, including a few that were in jewel cases.

Whenever I send out a heavy package though I get worried about it making it to its destination in one piece though, due to a prior experience where a large package of guides got SOAKED en route to the destination. It's like the damned package was left out in the rain for an hour and allowed to dry along the rest of the route.

But that was my fault for not sending it priority(sent it Parcel Post and that's worse than Media sometimes)and not having a proper sized box to fit them all in. So I tried cutting down one I had and taping down the huge 'flaps' that were made by cutting it down.

Anymore if I don't have the right type of package to fit stuff I'm shipping, I pad the hell out of the empty spaces in the box so I don't make the same mistake twice.

I also 'mummify' the packages with tape. Any opening is taped over.
 
For most things I will just ship with recycled bubble mailers I have saved from many other trades and my ebay purchases. When it gets to boxes though I just make sure I pad it well and ship it priority. For the maybe $1.00 you save shipping it parcel it is just not worth it.

I seriously had to wait almost 3 weeks to get something from California thanks to the jerks in the USPS that kept sending my one package back and forth between Warrendale, PA and Des Moines, IA.
 
[quote name='dodgeme']For most things I will just ship with recycled bubble mailers I have saved from many other trades and my ebay purchases. When it gets to boxes though I just make sure I pad it well and ship it priority. For the maybe $1.00 you save shipping it parcel it is just not worth it.

I seriously had to wait almost 3 weeks to get something from California thanks to the jerks in the USPS that kept sending my one package back and forth between Warrendale, PA and Des Moines, IA.[/QUOTE]
Even first class doesn't guarantee shipping won't take over a week at times. I don't remember if it was our deal back in April or another deal I made with someone else, but the one package I sent first class got bounced around the Boston, MA post office for like TWO fuckin' weeks.

I could've hand delivered it quicker than the frickin' post office got it there.:roll:

And don't even get me started on my LBP GOTY that came from Gamestop out in CA, went to HAWAII and then took over a week to get here(PA) after getting back to the mainland U.S. .

Then we wonder why the post office keeps needing rate increases. It's due in part to inefficient routes and lots of wasted gas that they're hemmorhaging money.
 
[quote name='Animal7390']0 does not fit things well with slipcovers[/QUOTE]


hmm guess i've been lucky ... but for the occasional nonfitting issue, I pick up a handful of larger bubble mailers at Walgreens when they are 3/$1 (all sizes)
In fact Walgreens has them on sale for $.39 each till Saturday.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Even first class doesn't guarantee shipping won't take over a week at times. I don't remember if it was our deal back in April or another deal I made with someone else, but the one package I sent first class got bounced around the Boston, MA post office for like TWO fuckin' weeks.

I could've hand delivered it quicker than the frickin' post office got it there.:roll:

And don't even get me started on my LBP GOTY that came from Gamestop out in CA, went to HAWAII and then took over a week to get here(PA) after getting back to the mainland U.S. .

Then we wonder why the post office keeps needing rate increases. It's due in part to inefficient routes and lots of wasted gas that they're hemmorhaging money.[/QUOTE]

I've never had too much trouble with first class but I don't think it was our trade that got sent back and forth. They do have horrible routes at times though.
 
[quote name='Chuplayer']I am ideologically opposed to bubble mailers. Get some mailman who wants to do The People's Elbow, and you've got one destroyed game. Especially jewel cases. Anybody who sends jewel cases in bubble mailers is a moron.[/QUOTE]

+1

I just got my second cracked case PSX game and it was a sealed game this time totally p1ss me off. Im 99% sure it did happen during shipping.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Unless you're mailing out ALOT of CD case games, those boxes look like they'd be pretty useless. But for $.29 a box(including the $6 shipping cost and rounding up to $7 total)you can't go wrong if you need to ship out some PS1 games.[/QUOTE]

Well, they fit the double packs well too, such as say, FF7. I don't sell a TON of older games, but I am accumulating more and more of them.
 
Since eBay has since been updated does anyone know if the bubble envelopes are still the way to go? I would like to know if the $2.58 the buyer is paying for the shipping is going to pay for the package, label, and shipping. I resurrected this thread to find out and maybe help some others who are also wondering the same. (Btw I plan to print my label off eBay and ship with First Class Mail through USPS.)
 
Yeah I know for a fact I will be losing money here. I bought 2 bubble envelopes from a local store and they charged me $1.45 each. That on top of eBay's fee: $1.90, and PayPal's fee: $.85 = $5.84. I haven't even printed out the label yet. I don't see how $4.00 (Max I can charge for shipping.) is going to cover shipping, packages, and the label. Plus I've got to keep an eye out for the fee's.
 
[quote name='RogueSplinterCell']Yeah I know for a fact I will be losing money here. I bought 2 bubble envelopes from a local store and they charged me $1.45 each. That on top of eBay's fee: $1.90, and PayPal's fee: $.85 = $5.84. I haven't even printed out the label yet. I don't see how $4.00 (Max I can charge for shipping.) is going to cover shipping, packages, and the label. Plus I've got to keep an eye out for the fee's.[/QUOTE]

Bulk bubble mailer comes out to
 
Besides buying in bulk, you can get the two pack bubble mailers at dollar stores (such as Dollar Tree) for $1, and you can even buy them individually at Wal-Mart for $0.59 each (the smaller ones for DVDs / Games).

I should of bought them in bulk a long time ago, but I don't want to be stuck with the extras if my selling slows down. That has yet to happen, though...
 
You can also buy in bulk from sam's club or costco. I paid 5 for a box of 25 scoth bubble mailers at sam's. They are a little snug though and probably wouldn't fit cases with slipcovers.
 
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